Fluid separator



April 9, 1929. G. D. BRADSHAW FLUID SEPARATOR Filed June 20, 1923 Patented pr. 9, 192g.

UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE'.

'GRANT D. BRADSHAW, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSGNOR TO BLAW-KNCX COMPANY, OF BLAVNOX, ENNSYLVANIA, A CORORATON GF NEW JERSEY.

FLUID SEPABATGR.

implicationY ered time zo,

This invention relates to improvements in fluid separators, and particularly to the type of separator disclosed by the Patent No. 1,336,870, issued tol-1. H. l'llracy, April 13, 1920. For details oi'the separator not material to this invention reference may be had tothe said patent. Thefobject of the invention disclosed by said patent is to separate .foreign substances and particularly moisture from gases, and a particular object is to separate moisture Vfrom steam which is being used from steam power boilers. One object ot this present invention is to provide means for controlling;Vv the moisture Which is separated from' the steam so that a portion only is removed t'rom the boiler and the remainder is retained in the boiler. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following` description.

Of the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 isa transverse sectional elevation ot a fluid separater, which embodies the features oit' my invention, taken along theline 1 1 of Fig. 5; Fig. 2 is a iragmental sectional .plan 'View along the line 2-.2 of Fig. 1 Fig. ,3 is alfragmental plan View of .an upper corner ot the separator; F ig. t is an enlarged fragment-al bottom view of one corner of the separator; and Fig'. 5 is a reduced elevation of the separator mounted in a boiler. Y

Itis common, in order to separate impurities such as moisture from the steam which is being used, to pass the steam throughY a separator While Vit ison its Yway from the interior of the boiler to the steam mains ofV the system. The separatorordina'rily comprises some arrangementof battles around which the steam must passend which are so arranged that, while the steam will pass through by a more o r less circuitousk route, the impurities such as moisture will be Aretained Vby the battles and will pass out of the' boiler or back into the boilerv as may be desired. Y

The apparatus which I prefer 'herein t illustrate my invention comprises a casing having end pieces 2, a top 3 and a bottom k5 inside ot which are mounted systems o-bafdes 6.] The casing when in use is mounted within the boiler and the steam passes around and between the-battles 6 into the interior chamber. .7, and passageway 11 of the separator and.V4 then, ordinarily, Y the steam passes through the outlet 10 out ofv the boiler into the steam main of the system. las the steam Vpasses betweenthe baiiies the moistureV there- 1923. Serial No. 648.535.

in is stopped in its tlow by the baliies and it runs downwardly and into the passage 8 and through the pipe 9 to any point outside of the which it is desiree to discharge the Y rEhe passagewi 1' arily provided with side plates 12, a bottom plate 13, and an upper plate 14, the plate y14 being elevated above the side plates so as to leave passagewavs 15 through which the steam may enter to the interior passageway and then may pass eut'through the steam'outlet 10 which connects with the passageway 11 by means ofthe T. il.

ln the use of a steam boiler, as is well understood, more or less impurities, such as calcium sulphate and other minerals, are continually entering. the boiler with the feedwater, and as the water in the boiler evapovrates these minerals are precipitated and must be lremoved by blowing out more or less of the water from the boiler, or in some other manner. lVhen a steam separat-er is used,V

the water which is separated from the steam contains more or less minerals and other iinpurities and if this water is allowed to pass out of the boiler it will carry with it these impurities. 0n theother hand, if this water is returned to the boiler the impurities are not removed. As a consequence. a boiler equipped with an eiiicicnt separator which returns the separated water to the boiler will accumulate more impurities in a given time than when a separator is not used, as then more or less moisture and its impurities pass out with the steam.

In order to prevent any oi the water which enters the battles 6 from returning tothe boiler I provide a baille, suchv as the plate 16, positioned on each side of lthe separator out side of the main bank oi battles 6 and extending the full length ot the baiiies. lilith this battle it is impossible'A for the water which passes beyond the plate 16 to flow back into the boiler and instead it flows onwardly into the passageway 8 and finally into the. outlet pipe 9. The ends 2 oi the casing tit snugly against the respective ends' of the plate 16, and, hence prevent the water from tiowiim` around the ends otl the plate and back into the boiler. Thcsebafiies 16 also diminish the tendency. et the incoming,- steam to mix with the separated water and carry it alongv with the steam, as the incoming4 steam must pass over the upper edges oi the battles 16, and the separated water is below these edges.

However, I have found it'desirable inl many cases, `especially where the surging of the water in the boiler is very great, to provide further means for separating the water from the steam. 5

`The means which I prefer tor such a purpose comprise auxiliary separators 17 positioned on cach side ot the'inain separator and outsidejof the plates 1G. I prefer t'or this purpose twerows of baiiles 18 similar in general to the baiiies 6 except that the lower ends ofthe bafi'ies 18 are open. The steam passing through these auxiliary separators leaves be- .hindit the'greater portion otl the moisture,

and this moisture merely runs down the batfles 18 and back into the boilerfwithoiit passing beyond the-plate 16. In vthis manner a large' .proportion of the water is separated before the steam enters the main separater. As a consequence, the amount of water still remaining in the steam so small thatthere is'no danger ot iiooding, the separatorl and the water is ultimately separated entirely from 'the steam so that the highest'etliciency is obtained. Niththese auxiliary separators,

Y theiplate 16 acts as a battle to prevent the separated watertroinpassing into the mainseparator.'v Although the ylower ends ofthe batties 18 are open, yet, without `the plate 16,

,there would be a tendency of the steam to carry a material portion of the partly separatedwa'terfonwardly into the-main separator.

. Anyl suiiaeie means may be ,used for connecting ythe auxiliary separators to the main separator. I preterplates 19 entirely closing the upper ends of the batlies 18 and the cham'- .ber 2O between the two sets of baes, and` the supporting strips 21 and 25 which hold the rows of battles 18 in place without materially closing the lower ends thereof. The battles 18 are held' at theirV lower ends' by strips and 29 which are fixed to therc'spective j strips 21 and'25. I have found, however,

- that it isvery ditticult to anticipate the-best Y VVarrangement,ot1V thevarious parts ofY the separatorinV order Yto meet working conditions otparticular boilers, and also Ythat it isy tre- -q iiently desired to vary the arrangement of the parts in accordance with variations in conditions of 'the boiler. I, therefore, pro- Vvidermeans oradjusting the distance between the auxiliary and the main separators,

and v'also the distance between'the two rowsv u Y I ot' battles 18.l Varying these distances varies the amount Yof water that will be separated andaects Vmaterially the relativeamounts that will flow baclr into the boiler and on into 4 the main'scparator. For instance, as the rows ot battles are separated further the' angular Vchanges in velocity of the steam decreases va-nd hence the amount ot water separated from the steam also decreases.v ToV adjust Y these V'distances I provide slots 22 in the plates 19 and, corresponding slots in the strips 21, so as to vary'the distance between the two Y separators, and provide slots 23 in tlieplates 2a and corresponding slots in the strips 25, so asto vary the distance between the two baies 18. The inner battles 18. are tired-to the plates `19.and strips 21 and the outer. battles 18 are iixed to the plates 24 and strips 25. Bolts28 connect the platesf19 and the top plate 3 and also the Ystrips 21 and the bottom plate 5. The' bolts 27 connect the plates 2a and 19 and also-the strips 25 21.` f It will, therefore, be seen that, in conjunction with the ordinaryfmeansior Yseparating the water and the other impurities from Vthe Y steam,` I have i provided means for eiectively controlling the relative amounts Yof water that iow baclr into the boiler or onwardly into the separator, andtliese means are such separators 17 and usingthe platesY 16, or, by

the use V'ofthe auxiliary separators,`a large Yportion of the water'maybe` passed backl into l arator and an var-riliary separater vconnected in series with said'main separator, each ot saidseparators being vertical and of substantiallvtheisamevheight tand length, and eaeh comprising, a plurality of ste'aintbaliles, said auxiliaryv separator being adjustably Vpesitioned .outsidev oiand a material Vdistance away Vfroin'saidmain separater casing.

2. The combination of' la vmain Y steam sepa- Arat-or and an auxiliary separator connected in series, each `of saidVV separatorsy beingV vertical andcomprising' aplurality otsteam baiiies.

said auxiliary separator being, positioned 'that all ot the separated water may be passed f into the separator by leaving o the auxiliary` outside of and amateriai distance: away from' 7 ksaid main'separatonthelower ends-ofthe baffles oi' said main separator being closed, and

the flower Vends of the battles of 'said auxiliary 'separator being open;V f

3. The' c ombinat'on eta mainsteam separator'havin'g a'closedcasing' and an auxiliarylsep'arator, each-of said separators coinprisiiig a'plurality otsteambaiiies, said auX- iliary separator being positioned' outside Vet fsaid mainfseparator casing, and aiwater baiiie positioned between saidl separators and adapted to prevent-"water from flowing outwardlyfrom the inner separator. Y.

' 4. The'combination of ya main steam separator, and an auxiliary separator, each of said separators comprising a kplurality of steam battles, said Vauiiliaryy separator beingfpositioned outsidefo'liV and 'amaterial distance away from'` said main separator, and means for adjusting the-distance between said sep- Vaiators, comprising'overlapping ianges, one

'away from said main separator, and means for ad'ustinO' the distance between the baf- C; fles of one otsaid separators.

6. The combination of a main steam se rator and an Vauxiliary separator, each ot said separators comprising a plurality ot steam bailies, said auxiliary separator being' positioned outside of and a material distance away from said main separator, and means for detachably uniting the separators, said means comprising overlapping anges lixed respectively to the separators, each of the flanges of one of said separators having an opening therethrough and each of the flanges of the other separator having an open slot therethrough registering respectively with said openings, and detachable means passing through said slots and openings or holding said lianges together.

7. The combination of a main` steam separator, and an auxiliary separatoneach of said separators comprising a plurality ot steam baiiles, said auxiliary separator being positioned outside of and a material distance away from said main separator, and means for adjusting the distance between the baiies of one of said separators, said means comprising overlapping anges iixed t0 the respective battles of the separators, one of said lflanges having openings therethrough and the other having open slots registering with said openings, and detachable means passing through said slots and openings for holding said flanges together.

8. The combination ot a main steam .sepa- 'ator and an auxiliary separator connected in series, each of said separators comprising a plurality of vert-ical steam battles, said auxiliary separator being positioned outside et said main separator. and means for adjusting the distance between said separators.

9. The combination ot a main steam separator having a close-d casing and an auxiliary separator, each of said separators comprising a plurality of steam battles, said auxiliary separator being positioned outside of said main separator casing, and a water balile positioned between said separators and adapted to prevent water from flowing outwardly from the inner separator, said bailie being fixed to the bottom ot the main separator and extending upwardly less than half way to the top of the main separator battles.

l0. A Huid separator comprising a casing with one side open and having a steam outlet, a series of steam bafr'ies positioned in said open side, means forming an inner passageway between said battles and outlet, said passageway communicating with said outlet and said means having a steam inlet along its upper side facing said bafties and in open communication with, said separator having a liquid passageway in said casing at the lower portion thereof, and a plate xed to the bottoni of the opening of the said casing and extending along the open side thereof, and projecting upwardly less than one-haltl the height of said opening.

In testimony whereof, hereunto set my hand.

GRANT D. BRADSHAV. 

